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(N0 Muriel.) J. KERR WOOD PAVEMENT. N0. 296,581. Patented Apr. 8, 1884.

Unitas drains PAT @FMQEO JAMES KERR, oF'LonDon, nNoLAuD.

WOOD PAVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,581, dated April 8,188%.

Application filed December 1?, 1853. (No model.) Patented in EnglandFebruary 15, 1871, No. 627 in France November 30, 1881, No. 146,143; inBelgium December 12, 182:2, No. 59,839, and in Italy July 16, 1883.

To ctZZ whom it may concern Be itknown that I, Janus KERR, a subject ofthe Queen of Great Britain, residing at London, England,gun-manufacturer, patentee of the well-known system of wood paving, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in the Construct-ionof lVoodPavements, (for which I have obtained patentsin Great Britain, No. 627,

bearing date February 15, 187 7; in France, No. 146,143, bearing dateNovember 30, 1881; in Belgium, No. 59,839, bearing date December 12,1882, and in Italy, hearing date July 16, 1883,) of which the followingis a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying draw mgs.

The present invention relates to that class of wooden pavements in whichwooden blocks are supported upon aconcrete foundation, and has for itsobj cctto provide a novel manner of laying the woodenpavingblockawhereby the upper portion of the latter can move or yieldslightly, to satisfy the requirements of expansion and contraction, andthe natural expansion of the blocks is expedited and. exhausted.Furthermore, the pavingblocks are firmly united or cemented together atthe base and supported upon the concrete foundation in such a mannerthatthe pavement is prevented from bulging upward and forcing thecurbstones out of placea resultliable tohappeu in pavements laidaccording to other methods.

The invention will first be fully described,

and then set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section of a street-pavementlaid according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a portion of the same drawn toan enlarged scale.

The wooden paving-blocks A are laid directly on a bed of concrete orballast, B, about thrce-eighths of an inch apart, and a speciallyprepared bitumen or bituminous composition, (3, is run into the jointsor interstices between the blocks to a depth of about one inch. Thisbituminous composition flows around the blocks and forms, as it were, ashoe or clamp around each individual block, thereby fixing the blocks inposition at once, and holding them so firmly that they cannot be movedwithout breaking them to pieces, It should go be stated, however, thatthe upper portion of the blocks can move or yield slightly, to allow forthe proper expansion and contraction thereof, and for this reason thework of laying the blocks can be carried on or continued withouthinderance, as the operation of filling up the remaining portion of theinterstices between the blocks can be proceeded with at once and allowedto consolidate thoroughly by reason of the solid manner in which theblocks are held at their base. The space leftbetween the blocks abovethe bottom cementing or uniting composition or bitumen is ofconsiderable depth, and is entirely filled up with a liquid grouting, D.The latter has the effect of expediting and exhausting the naturalexp'a-nsion of the blocks, so that when once laid upon the principleabove set forth the pavement is prevented from bulging upward andforcing the curbs out of position, as is liable to occur in pavementslaid in the ordinary way.

It has heretofore been stated that thepavingblocks are laid directlyupon a foundation or bed of concrete, whereas in ordinary pavementsembracing the use of a concrete foundation the blocks are set into a topstratum of asphalt. By laying the blocks in the manner proposed bymethat is, runningiu between the blocks a very slight depth of bitumenor any of its compounds-I hermetically seal up the interstices or jointsbetween the blocks, in addition to firmly or solidly uniting the latter,and for this reason I effectually prevent the percolation of waterthrough the pavement. The bituminous or asphalt filling, however, issufficiently elastic and yielding to allow for any slight expansionwhich the blocks may have. It may-be stated that in practice the blocksare impregnated with creosote-oil specially distilled from coaltar. Thismode of preparing the blocks rendcrsth em nearly permanently proofagainst water or moisture, and affords, to a great extent, the means ofpreventing the expansion and contraction of the blocks, and theconsequent injury to the pavement.

The bitumen or composition for uniting the paving-blocks at the base andforming the socalled clamping-shoes around the same genorally consistsof the following ingredients, viz: best British pitch, green or heavyoil, and whiting-powder, in the following proportions, viz: live parts,by weight, of the pitch; one part, by weight of the oil, and one part,

by weight, of the whiting-powder. The upper portion of the intersticesbetween the blocks is filled up with lime or cement. grouting, which inits liquid state will, to a great 5 extent, exhaust all of the expansionthat can take place in the blocks while the work is proceeding, therebypreventing the disturbing of the pavement from expansion when finished.The grouting will also be compressible in the IO event of any expansionof the wood blocks.

By these precautions I effectually provide for the prevention of such adisturbance of the blocks as would force the curbstones out of wplace orbulge up the pavement.

liquid asphalt or bitumen into the interstices or joints between theblocks for partly filling said interstices or joints, and thencompletely filling the latter by a cement grouting, as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. A pavement consisting of a concrete foundation or bed, wooden blocksplaced directly thereon, asphalt or bitumen clampingshoes uniting theblocks at their bases, and a cement grouting filling the spaces betweenthe blocks above said asphalt clampingshoe, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

. JAMES KERR. \Vitnesses:

JNo. DEAN, HERBERT E. DALE,

Both of 17 Gracechurch St, London.

